Current methods and apparatus for the testing of groundwater for contamination are both time consuming and relatively expensive. Samples must be collected using methods which preserve their integrity, transported without affecting the composition of the sample and then analyzed in laboratories using equipment which is often more sensitive and elaborate than necessary to determine whether contamination exists. In addition such equipment is typically much more expensive to operate and the laboratories involved must pass on portions of their overhead when assessing charges for testing groundwater.
One alternative to collecting samples for laboratory analysis involves testing the air above groundwater, known as the headspace, for indications of hydrocarbon contamination. Typically, however, the level of groundwater contamination necessary to cause a measurable level of hydrocarbons in the headspace far exceeds acceptable groundwater contamination levels, this making this test method effective for only gross levels of contamination.
As a result, the testing of groundwater for contamination at acceptable levels is more expensive than is necessary and/or is also difficult from a logistic standpoint when using known techniques and equipment.